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The Kurşunlu Complex (Kurşunlu Külliyesi) is a historic mosque complex in Eskişehir, Turkey. It consists of several different buildings, many which are used as museums today. This entry includes the dining hall, soup kitchen, and caravanserai.
Dining Hall
First is the dining hall (imarethane). It sits immediately west of the guesthouse, which is covered in another post, and has a barrel vaulted ceiling.
The dining hall was once used as a wedding venue and now hosts a hot glass blowing studio. Just inside the entrance are impressive glass works made by both local and international artists.
Soup Kitchen
Right across from the dining hall is the soup kitchen (aşevi), which contains a chimney on the western wall. The chimney was used as a clock tower from the late 19th century to the 1960s.
Today, the soup kitchen serves as a flameworking studio. We were able to see an artist in action creating glass jewelry. There are also several colorful glass items for sale.
Caravanserai
The large building north of the soup kitchen is the caravanserai (kervansaray), which was completed after 1529. Just inside the entrance is a scale model of the entire Kurşunlu Complex.
The building features two halls, each with a barrel vaulted ceiling supported by buttresses on both sides and six pillars in the middle. The building was divided into 14 sections, each containing a fireplace.
The caravanserai houses the Woodwork Gallery (Ahşap Eserler Galerisi). It opened on May 25, 2016, and moved to its current location in May 2017. The gallery is open daily except Mondays and admission is 30₺ (as of January 2024).
On display are about 150 pieces of modern wooden art made by both Turkish and international sculptors. They were made for international woodworking festivals held at the gallery. Click here for a virtual tour of the caravanserai.
